1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a picking device, in particular for the separating of fill material for the production of brushes, such as for example strip brushes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a system made public in U.S. Pat. No. 3,048,442 the fill materials, to be separated, such as fill bristles for example, are separated by means of gearwheel-like circular blades in the inter-teeth notches. This, however, gives rise to an undesired compacting of the fill material so that trouble free operation is no longer possible, i.e. such a system leads to frequent stoppages. The shown constellation of circular blades in the aforementioned publication means that it is also possible to place a continuous fleece of fill material with that system, for instance onto a conveyor chain.
Also known from DE-OS No. 1,632,375 is a sledge provided with notches, which is fed past a magazine above it that is open at the bottom. Herewith the notches are filled with fill material, which is then taken over by a conveyor system.
Common to both these systems is the need for the notches to be kept closed during transport of the fill material within them, so that the fill material cannot escape from the notches. As this is realised by contact with guides these systems further lead to an undesired generation of heat and hence to resultantly high levels of abrasion.
Furthermore, the actual separator is in both cases fed along the stationary magazine above it and totally open at the bottom, in order to receive the fill material.
A generic device is known from DE reference No. 196,03,392. This system shows a separator with notch which is fed in pendulum fashion beneath a stationary magazine during the picking process. A return stroke, i.e. null or empty stroke, is required each time, leading to long cycle times and thus resulting in considerable economic drawbacks. Here too, the guide, in holding the fill material within the notch, gives rise to undesired heat generation and abrasion and finally to malfunctioning of the system and high maintenance costs. The said system shows several magazines open at the bottom placed side by side to one another and in all forming a rigid construction. Changing of the magazine is possible by swinging the complete magazine constellation above the picker, which also goes to form the lower base of a magazine, even during a movement. Other magazines are to be separately closed at the bottom.